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HISTORICAL SKETCH 



NORTHAMPTON, %v 



FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT : 

IW A. 

SERMON, 

DELIVERED ON THE 

NATIONAL THANKSGIVING, 

APRIL 13, 1815. 

BY REV. SOLOMON WILLIAMS. 



PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF THE TOWN. 




y^ 



PPtlNTED AT THE HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE OFFICE. 
W. W. CLAPP 1815. 



dt a meeting of the Inhabitants of the town ofJVorth- 
amjpton on the 8th day of May 1815. 

Foted—Thzt the Selectmen be authorized to request of the 
Rev. Mr. Williams a Copy of the Historical Sermon, delivered 
by him on the late National Thanksgiving, for the presss ; and 
that they make such disposition of the Copies, among the families 
of the town, as they shall think proper. 

Attest, SOLOMON STODDARD, Jun. To-wtt ClaL 






b 



Deuteronomy, 82, 7. 

Re)nemher the days of old, consider the years of many 
generations ; ask thj father and he will shew thee ; 
thy elders^ and they icill tell thee. 

This song of Moses, as it is stiled, lias a very 
solemn introduction. Whether he addresses angels 
and men, or the inanimate creation called heaven and 
earth, may be questionable. If the latter, it may be 
to awaken tlie attention and reprove the stupidity of 
rational creatures, and constrain their devout regard 
to a subject, interesting to Israel, to that generation 
and to their posterity. " Give ear, O ye heavens, 
and I will speak ; and hear, O earth, the words of my 
mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech 
shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the ten- 
der herb, and as the showers upon the grass." He 
does not hold them long in suspense. He soon enters 
upon a subject, wliich tliey could not too carefully 
study, too thoroughly understand, too deeply feol or 
too closely apply. What is written in the sacred 
volume is also designed and adapted to guide and 
guard us; to profit all, who have that volume. He 
first unfolds a portion of supreme excellence, of the 
divine character, and calls for correspondent affections 
and conduct. " Because I will publish the name of 
the Lord : ascribe ye greatness unto our God.'' Con- 
template him, feel towards him, and treat him as his 
transcendent majesty demands. We should all feel 



that we are but worms of the dust, as nothing and less 
than nothing before Jehovah. Reflecting also on the 
moral distance, which there is between God and our- 
selves, we shoulcTlie low before him, and be clothed 
with humility. 

Instead of dwelling upon his eternity, immensity 
and infinity, he rather selects his inviolable faithful- 
ness, his spotless righteousness, and unerring recti- 
tude. " He is the Rock, his work is perfect ; for all 
his ways are judgment : a God of truth and without 
iniquity, just and right is he." From this sum- 
mary view of divine perfections, he passes directly to 
the future character of Israel, and the mighty evils, to 
which their strange and gross defection and corruption 
would expose them. '^ They have corrupted them- 
selves, their spot is not the spot of his children ; they 
are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus 
requite the Lord, foolish people and unwise ! is not 
he thy father that hath bought thee ? hatli he not made 
thee, and established thee ?'' He, who seeth the end 
from the beginning, by his servants, the prophets, re- 
veals the conduct and destiny of his people for ages. 
He sets before them good and evil, life and death, a 
blessing and a curse ; a blessing, if they cleave unto 
the Lord their God, and a curse, if they forsake him. 
If the latter, he charges them with folly and ingrati- 
tude. The same charge will lie on that ground against 
any other people ; it lies against the American nation, 
favored perhaps beyond any other in divine Provi- 
dence. We can surely own that God hath at all times 
helped us. He hath been on our right hand and on 
our left. He hath encompassed us with his salvation ; 
gjycn us peace, as at this time, when we did not so 



soon look for ii ; and saved us, wlieu we knew not 
from what quarter oiu* help would come. Moses, 
astonished at the infatuatiou of Israel, carries their 
view back to distant periods, to the covenant transac- 
tions, in which their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Ja- 
cob, were immediately concerned : to the fulfilment 
of the promises, made to Abraham,the father of the 
faithful, in their deliverance from their bitter and hard 
bondage in Egypt, and their preservation in the wil- 
derness till they had almost reached the promised 
land. " Remember the days of old, consider the 
years of many generations : ask thy father and he 
will shew thee ; thy elders, and they will tell thee." 

What is here urged upon God's ancient Israel, we 
should urge upon our own hearts. It is of good re- 
port, approves itself to reason, Itas the support of long 
experience and the sanction of revealed truth. What 
is past should be recalled, and according to its nature 
aiford us instruction, warning and comfort ; it should, 
animate our devotion, strengthen our faith and hope 
in God, and kindle within us a pure flame of gratitude 
and love to our benefactor and Saviour. On special 
occasions it is peculiarly proper, and the rather be- 
cause we have such sluggish hearts, such treacherous 
memories, and so many worldly cares pressing upon 
us. 

You perceive by the proclamation, which is our 
warrant for this religious meeting, that what God did 
at first, and at diircrent times since, for his people in 
this land, is suggested. God hath never ceased to 
do us good; though we have frequently and greatly 
ginned against him, he hath not cast us oft* ; he hath 
not in anger shut up his tender mercies from us, 



and dealt with us after our sins and iniquities. Ten- 
der hath been liis compassion, rich his mercy, and 
marvellous his patience towards us. We may now 
come into his house and unite in our homage and 
praise. By remembering the days of old, and con- 
>jsi,dering the years of past generations, and by inquir- 
ing of our fathers, and asking the elders of the people, 
•we may excite one another to fear and praise, to love 
and hope in God. 

Impressed with these sentiments, allow me to call 
your attention to a sketch of the history of this town, 
from its earliest settlement; and may it awaken in 
our hearts those feelings of gratitude and affection, so 
justly due to our merciful and munificent benefactor. 
To enable me to prepare such an caccount as might be 
satisfactory and advantageous, application was made 
to a member of tliis society, able and ready to afford 
ihe requisite information, and who had easy and full 
access to the necessary records and documents. The 
following facts are for the most part such as he has 
put into my possession. 

The lands bordering on Connecticut river, which 
are now in the towns of Northampton, Hadley and 
Hatfield, were first known by the Indian name Jy^ono- 
tuck. On the 6th of May 1653, a number of persons 
petitioned tlie General Court of Massachusetts to 
grant them liberty to plant, possess, and inhabit the 
place on Coucdiquot river above Springfield, called 
Nonotuck, as tiieir own inheritance, representing that 
the same was a place suitable to erect a town for the 
furtherance of the public weal, and the propagating 
the Gospel, and whic]i promised, in an ordinary way 
«f God's providence, a comfortable subsistence, where- 



by they miglit live anil atteud upon God in his holy 
ordinances without distraction. 

At the same time^ and in aid of the above petition, 
Mr. John Pynchon, Elizur Holyoke and Samuel Cha- 
piji, of Springfield, presented their petition to the 
general court, stating that the place was very commo- 
dious, containing largo quantities of excellent land 
and meadow, and tillable ground, sufficient for two 
large plantations; that divers in the neighbouring 
plantations had a desire to remove thither, to the num- 
ber of twenty-five families at least that had already 
appeared, whereof many of them were of considerable 
quality for estates and fit matter for a church ; the^'^ 
therefore requested, that liberty might be granted to 
erect a plantation about fifteen miles above them on' 
the river Conetiqiiot, that so the glory of God might 
be furthered, and the peace and happiness of the 
government not retarded. Their inducement, in these 
desires, they declared, was not any sinister respect of 
tlicir own ; but that, being so alone, they might by 
this means have sonic more neighborhood of this juris- 
diction. 

In answer to these petitions, the geneml court, on 
the 18th of May 1658, appointed a committee to di- 
vide the land petitioned for, into two plantations, and^" 
ordered that the petitioners should make one of themy"^ 
where they should have liberty to plant themselves. 

It is probable that the committee attended to the 
business assigned them immediately; and on the 9th 
of May 1654, they reported to the general court, that 
having been appointed to lay out the land at JSTono- 
tuck for two plantations, they for tlie present had only 
appointed the bounds of one of them, to which they 



allowed the great meadow on tiie west side of Con- 
necticut river ; as also, a little meadow called Cajjci- 
i£?awAr/( otherwise called LamjMunchus^) which ihey 
described as lying about two miles above the great 
meadow ; and to extend from the upper end of the 
little meadow to the great falls down towards Spring- 
field;- and eastward, to extend nine miles into the 
woods, from the river Connecticut : the said meadows 
and uplands to belong to the petitioners, and such as 
should come to plant with them, vtho, according to 
liberty granted them from the court, had made choice 
thereof for themselves and their successors ; not mo- 
lesting the Indians, or depriving them of their just 
rights and propriety, without allov/ance to their satis- 
faction. ' 

The other plantation, which the committee omitted 
then to lay out, was afterwards formed into the town 
*>f Hadley, in which Hatfield was at that time in- 
cluded. 

There is a tradition, that one English family came 
to this place in 165S, and lived here during the next 
winter, on land which lies east of what is called 
Hawley street. However this may be, in the year 1653, 
a number of the petitioners took possession of the 
township, in consequence of the liberty given them by 
the government. 

Selectmen, or townsmen, as they were then gene- 
rally called, were chosen in the year 1655. It is pre- 
sumed from this, as well as from other circumstances^ 
that the town was incorporated in the year 1654» 
But it is said the act of incorporation cannot now be 
found.* 

* It was probably burnt, with the records, in the great fire in Boston, in- 
1711, or afterwards, when the court house was burnt. 



9 

The Indian title to the land had been purchased 
in 1653, from a number of Indians, who claimed to 
be the owners of it ; and a deed was given by them 
accordingly, to the use of the settlers. But on the 
S8th of September, 1658, the sachem, Umpancliela, 
complained to the commissioners, assembled to hold 
a court at Northampton, that he had not received so 
much for his part of the land as he expected. It was 
thereupon agreed by the inhabitants to satisfy his de- 
mand : and the Sachem executed a new deed, in the 
presence of the court, releasing to the inhabitants of 
Northampton, all his right and title to the township. 

On the 17th of October, 1658, the town voted to 
give away their whole right and title to Capawonk or 
jyamjmunsus, which is now the south meadow in 
Hatfield, on condition, among other things, that the 
grantees should come and settle two plantations, one 
on the east side of the great river, and the other on 
the west, and begin to inhabit upon it the next May; 
and that themselves, and their families, should not 
desert it for seven years. This seems to refer to the 
first settlement of Hadley and Hatfield. 

At a General Court, holden at Boston, on the 7th 
of May 1662, it was ordered, that thenceforth Spring- 
field, Northampton and Hadley should be constituted 
a county, and be called Hampshire ; the bounds on 
the south to be the south line of the patent, and to 
extend full thirty miles distant from either of said 
towns; that Springfield should be the shire town, 
and that the courts should be kept one time at Spring- 
field, and another time at Northampton ; and the shire 
meetings, one year at one town and the next year at 
the other. 



10 

For the space of twenty two years after tliis towa 
was settled, the Indians continued to live here peace- 
ably in the neighborhood of the English inhabitants. 
In April 1661, they petitioned the town for a place to 
build a Fort, which was granted them, on conditions, 
purporting that they should behave in an orderly man- 
ner. This fort is said to have been built on the nor- 
therly end of Fort Plairif which is now in Easthamp- 
ton. The danger, apprehended by the Indians, prob- 
ably arose from the hostility of neighboring tribes, as 
there were several instances of murder, committed on 
their people, either by Indians from abroad, or by 
some among themselves, who afterward absconded. 
And though complaints were sometimes made of their 
petty thefts, and of abuses committed when they were 
in a state of intoxication, yet they remained here in 
peace and friendship with the English, until the Avar 
commenced in 16/5, called Philip^s warj in the course 
of which they left this part of the country, and none 
of them have ever since had a settled residence here. 

At the beginning of Philip's war, the Indians about 
Springfield, Northampton and Hadley seemed inclined 
to join the English, or at least to remain neutral ; but 
they were soon induced by the emissaries of Philip to 
unite with him and the other hostile Indians. The 
combination was so general and extensive, as to en- 
danger the existence, not only of the settlements on 
Connecticut river, but of the whole colony. Tiie In- 
dians frequently assaulted the towns on the river, and 
in some instances did greatmischief to the inhabitants, 
killing their cattle and destroying their property, 
when they were unable to take their lives. 



ii 

On the 25th of August 1675, the Indians killed 
Samuel Mason, in this town, and on the 28th of Sept. 
in the same year, they killed Praisever Turner and 
two other persons. About the middle of October fol- 
lowing, seven or eight men, venturing to bring in some 
of their harvest from Pynchon^s meadow, were sud- 
denly attacked by the Indians, and the greater part, 
being destitute of arms, as the enemy had observed 
where they were deposited and seized them, they 
were glad to ftee with their horses, which they took 
from their carts. One of them, however, got posses- 
sion of his gun, and killed one of the Indians, and 
then escaped with the rest. At the same time the In- 
dians burnt four or five houses, and two or three barns, 
that stood at some distance from the principal settle- 
ment. On the 29th of the same month, the Indians 
killed Thomas Salmon, Joseph Baker, and Joseph 
Baker jr. as they were at work in the meadow, and 
attt mpted to burn the mill, but it was so well defend- 
ed, tliat they were unable to effect their purpose. 

To guard against a surprise, the inhabitants made a 
kind of barricade about the town, by setting up palli- 
sados, or cleft wood about eight feet long, to check tlie 
force of any sudden assault. This must have been a 
weak defence against a warlike enemy, but it proved 
to be of great use against the Indians ; for though on 
the 14th of March I676 a large number of them broke 
through the pallisados at the lower end of the street, 
now called Pleasant street, in three places, yet as a 
company of soldiers had arrived in town the evening 
before, the Indians met with a warm reception, and as 
soon as they began to he repulsed, they fled with pre- 
cipitation through the breaches, and never afterwards. 



• iZ 

during that war, adventured to break into this or tlie 
neighboring towns, that were so secured. In this at- 
tack, they killed Robert Bartlet, and Tliomas Holton, 
and two other men and two women, and setiire to four 
or five dwelling houses, and as many barns. Many 
of the^Indians, it was supposed, were killed. 

In the attack, made upon the Indians at Deerfield, 
near Miller's Falls, on the 19th of May 1676, by up- 
wards of one hundred and fifty men, who had been 
collected from Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield, 
and which has been called the Fall fights several of 
the inhabitants of this town lost their lives, with Caft. 
William Turner, who commanded tliem. Of those, 
who marched from Northampton, fifteen were killed ; 
but as some of them were garrison soldiers, and others 
inhabitants of the town, I am not able to ascertain the 
exact number of the latter. 

The pallisados, before mentioned, were kept up 
several years ; but having gone to decay, the people 
in March 1690, considering themselves in danger of 
being assaulted by the enemy, encompassed a great 
part of the town with pickets, near the place where 
the former stood in Philip's war. This kind of de- 
fence was maintained for a number of succeeding 
years. 

On the 13th of May 1704, old style, the Indians 
attacked the village of Paskhomuck, The inhabitants 
Ijad been settled there only two or three years, the 
town having granted them their home lots in 1699- 
The Indians had been to Merriraac river, but met 
with no success ; they then directed their course to- 
ward Westfield, but Westfield river was so high, that 
Ihey could not pass it. Some of the Indians had beea 



13 

at Noi tliampton in a fiieudly manner the year before, 
and informed their companions, that there was a small 
village at Paskhomuck, where they might get provi- 
sions, for they were almost famished, and intended, as 
they afterwards declared, to resign themselves up, if 
they could obtain no food otherwise. In the evening 
before the 13th of May, the Indians went upon Mount 
Tom, and observed the situation of the place. As the 
meadow was then covered with water, they supposed 
the village might be taken, and that no aid could come 
seasonably from the town, on account of the interven- 
ing flood. The village consisted only of five families, 
Samuel Janes's, Benoni Joneses, John Searls\ Dea- 
con Benjamin Janes- s and Moses Hutchinson's.* A 
little before day-light, the Indians attacked the village. 
Benoni Jones's house, which stood on the lot where 
%S*athaniel Kentjleld afterwards lived, was encompass- 
ed with pickets. The Indians procured flax and other 
combustibles, and set them on fire, which was commu- 
nicated to the house. A young woman, named Patience 
Webb, was waked, and looking out of the window 
was shot through the head. The people surrendered, 
and all the above families were killed or taken pris- 
oners. Some of the prisoners were afterwards rescued 
by the people from the town. These, commanded by 
Capt. Taylor, went round by Ppymroy's meadow, and 
met the Indians near the Mountain, when a skirmish 
ensued, in which Caj)t, Taylor was killed. Of 
the five families before mentioned, the Indians killed 

• Samuel Janes lIvcJ wl.ei-e the Iior.se of Mi-. Obadiah Janes now 
itaads; John ScaHs, wlierc his son Elisha and his grand-son of the samo 
name afterwards dwelt ; Benjamin Janes, where Captain Pliilip Clark 
lives; and Moses Hutcliinson, near the plsce wliere M:-. Solomon Ferry's 
bouid stands. 



1* 

the following persona ; Samuel Janes and his wife 
and three children ; Benoni Jones and two children, 
and the young woman before named ; John Pearls 
and three children ; Deacon Benjamin Janes and four 
children; and Moses Hutchinson and one child. 
The wife of Benjamin Janes was taken to the top of 
Pomroy's mountain, and was there knocked in the 
head and scalped. Our people found her in that 
situation, and perceiving that she was still alive, 
brought her home, and she recovered and lived till 
she was more than eighty years old. The wife oi 
Moses Hutchinson was taken prisoner, but soon made 
hep escape. John S earls' wife was also taken and 
severely wounded, but was afterwards rescued from 
the Indians. Benoni Jones' wife, and Elisha, the 
son of John Searls, were taken prisoners to Canada. 
Ten Indians went to the lower farms, where there 
was then but one house, in which Captain Wright 
lived, at the place afterwards owned by Mr. Elias 
Lyman. Captain Wright refused to surrender, and 
shot one of the Indians and broke his arm. Tliey 
then attempted to burn the house by shooting spiked 
arrows, dipped in brimstone, upon the roof; but a 
young man in the house, named Thomas Stehhins, 
wrapping himself in a feather bed, drew water from 
the well, and put out tlie fire.* 

In August of the same year, 1704, the Indians fired 
on some men, who were going from Northampton to 

♦ The season at that time was remarkahly backward ; foi' though so late 
in the year, being- the 24th of May, according to the present style, the trees 
and bushes had not budded ; and the year was so far advanced before the 
flood subsided from the me"<do\v, that many persons doubted whether it 
was expedient to plant their corn ; bit notwithstanding', as there was no 
frost till late in tlie season, the crop of corn proved to be uncomnnonly good. 



15 

Westileld, and killed one, and took two prisoners ; 
but others of our men, coming up, retook the prisoners 
and killed two of the Indians. 

July 9th, I7O8, Samuel Parsons and Joseph Par- 
sons were killed in Northampton by the Indians. 

On the 10th of August, I7II, Samuel Strong, Jun. 
was killed, and his father taken prisoner. 

August 26th, 1724h, JS'athaniel Edwards, 2d, was 
killed by the Indians, in the road near Bartlet's mill, 
and another person was wounded. 

In the year 17^5, the town, considering themselves 
in danger of an invasion from the French and Indians, 
agreed to take measures to fortify themselves. For 
this purpose the town was divided into fourteen sec- 
tions, in each of which one house was forted and 
guarded with flankers, to be a place of refuge for the 
women and children : they also erected mounts or 
watch houses in divers places, particularly in the ex- 
treme parts of the town. Before tlie end of that war, 
on the 27th of August, I747, Elisha Clark was killed 
by the Indians, when he was threshing in his barn, in 
(hat part of the town, which is now Southampton. At 
another time, in the course of the same war, J\*oah 
Fixley was killed in the road, in the same quarter of 
the town. 

In the war, which commenced in 1755, no injury 
was done by the Frencli or Indians in Northampton. 
The people, however, thought themselves in danger, 
and for some time, at the commencement of the war, a 
Match was maintained, in the night time, in divers parts 
of the town. A number of soldiers were also stationed 
at Southampton for the defence of the inhabitants of 
that district. 



16 

I have heard of other instances of mischief done it? 
this place bj the Indians, but have not learned the 
particulars. From the first settlement of the town it 
was an exposed frontier, until after the conquest of 
Canada in the year 1759. Settlements had been grad- 
ually extended northward upon Connecticut river, but 
fear of the Frencli and Indians prevented improve- 
ments at any considerable distance west from the river. 
The country to the west and north-west, between this 
place and Canada, was a wilderness for more than a 
hundred years after the town was settled. 

Among the earliest transactions of the people of this 
place, we find that measures were taken for the settle- 
ment of the gospel ministry among them. On the 7th 
of June 1658, it was agreed in town meeting, by unan- 
imous consent, to desire Mr. Eleaxer Mather to be a 
minister to them in a way of trial in dispensing his 
gifts. In December of that year, the town voted that 
a rate of one hundred pounds should be levied for 
building a house for the ministry ; and on the 4th of 
January then next following, they agreed to lay ou* 
eighty acres of meadow for the ministry. 

The Rev. Eleazer Mather was the first settled 
minister in the town. He was a son of the Rev. Rich- 
ard Mather of Dorchester, and was born at that place 
May 13th, 1637. When a church was gathered at 
Northampton, he w^as ordained the pastor of it on the 
18th of June, 1661, and was greatly esteemed as a 
man of talents and piety. Soon after tlie ordination 
of Mr. Mather, Mr. John Strong was ordained ruling 
elder of the church. On the S3d of November, 166S, 
the people unanimously expressed their desire to set- 
tle Mr. Joseph Elliot among them as a teacher. This 



ir 

appears to have been also the desire of Mr. Ma- 
ther, the pastor ; for on the 30th of December of the 
same year, the church voted unanimously, that two 
teaching officers were appointed as ordinances of 
Christ Jesus in his church, and that it was the duty 
of every church to do what in them lay, that they might 
be furnished with two teaching officers. In the Ian- 
guage of the Cambridge Platform, which they seem 
to have adopted, the office of pastor and teacher was 
distinct. The pastor^ s special work was to attend to 
exhortation, and therein to administer a word of wis- 
dom. The teacher was to attend to doctrine, and 
therein to administer a word of knowledge. The 
ruling elder was to join with the pastor and teacher 
in acts of spiritual rule, in admitting members, ordain- 
ing officers, and excommunicating offenders, and to 
feed the flock of God with a word of admonition. 
The same distinction of offices had then been general- 
ly adopted in the Colony ; but soon after, it gradually 
ceased, and there is now, perhaps, no instance of its 
being preserved in any of the Congregational churches. 
It appears from the records of the town, that Mr. 
Elliot assisted Mr. Mather in the ministry for a year 
or two, and a settlement and salary were offered him 
by the inhabitants, who agreed to build him a house; but 
he was never ordained as a public teacher in the town. 
On the ISth of July 1661, the town voted to build 
a meeting-house forty two feet square. At the same 
time a committee was chosen to carry on and finish the 
work, which they afterwards completed accordingly. 
The town had agreed in the year 1658, that the bu- 
rying place should be on the meeting house hill, 
near the ground on which the present meeting house 
stands. But in October 1661, they voted, that the placi 
3 



18 

of b urial on the meeting house hill should be altered, 
and a Committee was chosen to find a more conveni- 
ent place. At the next meeting in May 1663, the 
Committee reported in favor of the place, which has 
ever since been used for that purpose. 

The first English inhabitants in Northampton form- 
ed their settlement in a wilderness, when the savages 
were numerous, and when, excepting the town of 
Springfield, there were no white inlia])itants of the 
State within eighty miles of this place.* Several of 
the fir«t planters were of those, wlio came from Eng- 
land in 1630 and first settled at Roxbnrv : some of 
them had moved in 1636 from lioxbury to Spring- 
field. But it appears that many of the early settlers 
of this town were of the company, which sailed from 
Plymouth in England, March 30th, 1630, and arrived 
at Nantasket on the 30th of May following. They first 
began a settlement at Dorchester. Their ministers 
were Mr. Warham and Mr. Maverick. In 1635 and 
1636, Mr. Warham, and the greater part of his church, 
moved from Dorchester to Windsor in Connecticut. 

Previous to Mr. Mather's settlement here, viz. on 
the 28th of April 1661, he took a dismission from the 
church at Dorchester, and at the same time several 
others, who had moved to this town, and were mem- 
bers of the church in Dorchester, were dismissed from 
it, to join in gathering a church in Northampton. A 
number had also come from Windsor to settle here, 
who had accompanied Mr. Warham from the time he 
left England. From these men, who came from 
Windsor and Dorchester, and who were persons of 
exemplary virtue and piety, it is presumed that most 
of the present inhabitants of Northampton, Southamp- 

* At that time the nearest English settlements in this State, except 
Springfield, were at Concord and Sudbury. In a short time afterwards 
Marlborough was settled. 



19 

ton, "VVestlmmpton ami Easthamptoii are descended. 
The three last were ori£;in[illy part of Northampton. 

Mr. Mather died on the 24tli of July, 1669. By 
his wife- who was daii^liter of tlie Rev. Mr. War- 
ham of Windsor, he left one daughter, who married 
the Rev. Mr. Williams of Deerfield, and was killed 
by the Indians, when that town was destroyed in Feb- 
ruary 1704. In a publication- of Dr. Increase Math- 
er of Boston, who was a younger brother to Mr. Math- 
er of this town, he is said to have preached at North- 
ampton eleven years. It appears, therefore, that from 
the time he was invited to preach on probation in June 
I6i58,he continued to preach here three years before he 
was ordained. In the year 1671 a treatise was pub- 
lished under the title of ^'serious e.vhortations to the 
*• present and succeeding generation in J^'ew-JEng' 
*• landf earnestly calling upon them all to endeavour 
" that the Lord's gracious presence ntay be continued 
" with posterity ; being the substance of the four last 
*• Sermons preached at JVorthampton by the Rev. 
^' Eleazer Mather:^ 

Soon after the death of Mr. Mather, Mr. Solo- 
mon Stoddard was invited to preach in this town; and 
on the 4th of March I67O, the town voted unanimous- 
ly, that they hoped by the blessing of God to give Mr. 
Solomon Stoddard, on condition of his settlement a- 
mong them, one hundred pounds yearly, as long as he 
continued among them, and carried on the work of the 
ministry alone. iNIr. Stoddard continued to preach 
liere, and on the 7th of February 167,"^, he wrote a 
Letter, addressed " to the Rev. Jo]in Strong, rulins 
elder of the Church of Christ in Northampton," ac- 
cepting their call. In this Letter, after refering to 
the invitation of the church and people that h^ would 



go 

undertake to be their pastor, he says, *^ without eye- 
'^ ing that power and grace which God has treasured 
^* up in Jesus Christ, it were altogether vain for mo 
<^ to attempt such an undertaking. The best is, that 
'^ when we have the command of God for our war- 
** rant, we have his promise both for assistance and 
*^ pardon. I do therefore venture to declare, that it 
<^ is my intention, sometime this next summer, to 
^^ answer your desire in accepting of your invitation, 
'^ giving up myself the residue of my days to the ser- 
f' vice of the house of God in this place ; beseeching 
^^ you, who are not altogether unacquainted with the 
^' difficulties, temptations and burdens of such a work, 
'^ nor wholly strangers to my unfitness, to bow 
'^ your knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
^' earnestly begging that he would fit me by his Spir- 
'^ it for so solemn a cliarge, and make me a blessing 
^^ unto you and your posterity; that I may be enabled 
" to be a faithful steward, and that my labor may not 
'^ be in vain \ that light, and peace, and the power of 
<^ religion may be continued in this plantation." — 
Mr. Stoddard was accordingly ordained on the 11th 
of September 167S. He married the widow of the 
Rev. Mr. Mather, and was an eminent and useful mini- 
ster of the gospel in this place until his death, w hich 
happened on the lith of February 1739 in the 86th 
year of his age. His son, the Hon, John Stoddard, 
was several years a member of the Council, and held 
other important offices. The Hon, Joseph Hawley, 
ivho was his grandson, was also distinguished in public 
life, and was a liberal benefactor to the town. 

In the life time of Mr. Stoddard, on the 29th of 
August 1736, the town voted to invite Mr. Jonathan 
Edwards, whose mother was Mr. Stoddard's daugh- 



tcr, to assist the Rev. Mr. Stoddard in the work of 
the ministry ; and on the Slst of November following, 
he was invited to settle among them in that ofiicej and 
was ordained on the 15th of February 17S7« 

On the 6th of November 1735, the town roted to 
build a new meeting-house, and raise and cover it by 
the end of the then next summer. This new meeting- 
house was placed northeasterly from the old, and as 
near to it as might be ; it was not finished until De- 
cember 1737. Before it was completed, viz. on the 
13th of March 1737? the front gallery of the old meet- 
ing-house fell, when the people were assembled on the 
Sabbath for public worship ; but through the good- 
ness of God, though great numbers were upon and un- 
der the gallery, no one was killed or mortally wounded. 

The Rev. Mr. Edwards continued in the ministry in 
this town more than twenty-three years, and was highly 
and universally esteemed and respected ; but at length 
an unhappy disagreement arose between him and the 
major part of his people, concerning the qualifications 
for admission into the church, and in consequence of 
it, the pastoral relation between Mr. Edwards and 
the church w as dissolved on the 22d of June 1750. 

An act of the General Court was passed on the 5th 
of January 1753, by which the second precinct in the 
town of Northampton was erected into a separate dis- 
trict by the name of Southampton. The Rev. Jona- 
than Judd had been ordained the pastor of the church 
in that part of the town in 1743. He was a worthy 
minister, of an amiable character, and continued in the 
ministry until his death in 1803. The Rev. Vinson 
Gould, his successor, was ordained in August 1801. 

On the 5th of December 1753, Mi'. John HookeVy 
was ordained to the work of the ministry in North- 



ampton, and continued in the faithful and acceptable 
discharge of the duties of that office until his death, 
which happened on tlie 6th of February in the year 
1777? when he was in the 49th year of his age. He 
died of the smalt pox, and was sincerely and deeply 
lamented by the affectionate people of his charge.*—^ 
His successor was ordained June ^th 1778. 

In September 1778, the westerly part oithe town of 
Northampton, separated by a line four miles eastward 
from the west line of the towa of Northampton, and 
pa.rrallel thereto, was incorporated into a town by the 
name of Westhumpton. The Rev. Enoch Hale, the 
first settled minister, was invested with that office on 
the S9th day of September 1779. 

The easterly part of the original township of North- 
ampton was incorporated into a district on the 17th of 
June 178.1 by the name of Easthampton, and was af- 
terwi^rds, on the l6th of June 1809, formed into a town. 
The llev. Payson WilUston, who was the first settled 
minister there, was ordained in July 1789. 

It will be difficult to find an instance, where a town, 
having but one religious society, has been so long fa- 
vored with a succession of sueli able, pious and dis- 
tinguished Ministers, as the people of this town were 
indulged with, for nearly one hundred and twenty 
years, in the successive labors of Mr. Mather, Mr. 
Stoddard, Mr. Edwards, and Mr.Hookcr. At different 
times, as some of you well know, their ministry was 
remarkably successful ; and during all that period, 
with one unfortunate, but short exception, the people 
and their minister lived together iu harmony, and were 
united in religious sentiments and mutual affection. 
There was but rarely an individual, who dissented 

" Mr. Hoo!ce^ was grandson of ihe Rev. Mr. Hooker of Favnnington, Con, 
and great grjindson -if the Kev. TIior.i;is Ho-.kor, the first minister of Hart- 
ihwl 



S3 

from those doctrines and that mode of worship, which 
had been approved by our ancestors, who first came to 
this country. 

If your patience, my hearers, be not quite exhausted, 
some other things may without impropriety be subjoined. 

The records of the church in this place were former- 
ly kept with less clearness and accuracy, than in later 
times. When the church was first gathered, the whole 
number of members was 71. In 16/9, more than 500 
had been admitted. From that period to 1706, it is 
difficult to ascertain the increase. In 1746, there were 
I nearly 500 church members. After that time, no men- 
tion is made of admissions till 1753. From that time 
to the present, an accurate account lias been kept. There 
were admitted and received from other churches, du- 
ring my predecessor's ministry, more than 400 ; the 
baptisms during the same period, were over 1000. 
During my ministry, the admissions have exceeded 
§00 ; the baptisms have been nearly I7OO. The 
deaths, which were never entered on the chnreh re- 
cords till since Mr, Hooker's settlement, were from 
that time till my ordination 443 ; since my residence 
in this town, they have been 1 175. The two sums ad- 
ded are 1617? making an average, during Mr. Hook- 
er's ministry and my own, or a period of 60 years, 
of S7 deaths a year. By the census taken in 1790, our 
population was 1638 ; in 1800, more than 2100 ; and 
in 1810, tico thousand six hundred and thirty-one. 

You can name those, who, in their several profes- 
sions, and in the various walks of life, have sustained 
fair and excellent characters, and done worthily in 
their day. Many can rise up and call them blessed. 

We enjoy a pleasant and healthy situation ; we are 
ricl.ily favored with the bounties of providence ; we 



2^ 

and ours experience the unceasing care of Heaven.- — 
During the late contest with a foreign power, no part 
of the country was less disturbed or threatened. The 
lines have fallen to us in a desirable place. We enjoy 
both civil and religious privileges ; bibles, and Sab- 
baths, and sanctuary seasons. God has a perpetual de- 
mand upon us for grateful hearts and obedient lives. 
What shall we not render to such a munificent bene- 
factor ? All is little enough ; less than God merits ; it 
is as nothing to his abundant goodness and rich mercy. 
The past and long experience, which we and our 
fathers and elders have had of the kindness and faith- 
fulness of God, should lead us to implore his blessing 
upon usj and upon our children, and children's chil- 
dren, from generation to generation ; to fear before 
him, and hope and trust in him through Jesus Christ ; 
and to leave, in his hands, our personal and family 
concerns, the interests of the church, of our land, and 
of mankind. Blessed is that nation, whose God is the 
Lord, and the people, whom he hath chosen for hi» 
own inheritance. 

That, which we have known of the ways and works 
of God, and which our fathers have told us, let us not 
hide from our families, showing to them the praises of 
the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works, 
that he hath done ; that those, who come after us, may 
not forget the works of God, but keep his command- 
ments and observe all his institutions. 

Will the Lord bless us with abundance of peace 
and grace ; and in God's own time, may we reach 
that world, where our lives will be perfect, our zeal 
ardent, our praise unceasing, and our felicity coni- 
plete and eternal. AMEN. 



